Artificial photosynthesis to produce clean air and energy

US-based researcher has found a way to trigger the process of photosynthesis in a synthetic material and produce clean air.

A chemistry professor at University of Central Florida (UCF) has discovered a process that could turn greenhouse gases into clean air while producing energy at the same time through artificial photosynthesis.

According to Science Daily,Professor Fernando Uribe-Romo and his team of students have created a way to break down carbon dioxide into harmless organic materials by triggering a chemical reaction in a synthetic material called metal-organic frameworks (MOF).

“This work is a breakthrough,” said UCF Assistant Professor Fernando Uribe-Romo. “Tailoring materials that will absorb a specific color of light is very difficult from the scientific point of view, but from the societal point of view we are contributing to the development of a technology that can help reduce greenhouse gases.”

The process has created the possibility of developing a technology that could significantly reduce greenhouse gases which are one of the major contributors to climate change.